


The Artist

by HandMonsters



Series: Lifetime [6]
Category: The Evil Within (Video Game)
Genre: Art, Crossover, Not Canon to Lifetime Series, Silly
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-30
Updated: 2019-03-30
Packaged: 2019-12-26 22:43:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 978
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18291713
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HandMonsters/pseuds/HandMonsters
Summary: Just a silly crossover between TEW1 & TEW2 in which the psychopathic photographer meets the perfect painter.





	The Artist

**Author's Note:**

> I just had to, it's not got Ruben in I know, but I couldn't make the reader a painter in the Lifetime Series then not make her meet Stefano...it just had to happen...I'm sorry!
> 
> Apologies for faulty Italian too...

Sweet music echoed through the halls, classical – not Claire de Lune like you were used to, a fair bit more dramatic than that. Nice nevertheless, and fitting for the situation you found yourself in. Strolling through the gallery, stopping to admire every individual piece that hung, framed in gold against the pearly white walls: uncertain whether it was a painting or a photo you were looking at, the lines too defined and crisp to be a painting, not within immense talent, but, too abstract to be a photo. Women, ballerinas, models – all beautiful women – decapitated, mangled, broken apart, missing limbs replaced with blood red roses or entwined with barbed wire. Grotesque but gorgeous. Yet, it was clear each name the art was titled with, was not the artist, probably, the names of the women who modelled. Having seen nobody else within the gallery, or no signs of life until you found…a painting…recognising it as your own when the crisp click of a heel caught your attention.

“Marvellous isn’t it.” Yelping you spun around to see the stranger. A handsome man in extravagant attire – the navy suit he bore topped off with a red scarf and leather gloves. Short black hair swept over one eye, the other wide in shock.

“Ah, my apologies, I didn’t mean to startle you, your face is the perfect picture of fear you know?”

“Don’t worry about it…” you soothed rather bashfully, “it’s just so quiet in here, but ah, the painting. I don’t like complimenting myself on my own work.” 

“Your work?” The man repeated, taken aback. “It seems I stand in the presence of another like-minded artist, Madame may I say it is simply perfection in paint.” Both embarrassed and embarrassed you managed a weak smile, glancing back at the painting with a sigh.

“Thank you, but they were never made for the public eye…I don’t know what they’re doing here.” The man shrugged it off, folding his arms across his chest and tilting his head with a hum.

“Art will always find a way to the public eye, unfortunately the many philistines who wish to criticise such beautiful pieces as well. Alas, I’m getting ahead of myself.” He held out his hand, smiling politely at you. “Stefano Valentini, photographer and a recent fan of yours miss…?”

“(Y/N) (Y/LN).” You purred, hastily adding to that as you shook his hand. “If you’re a photographer, then, does the rest of the art in here happen to belong to you?” Raising an eyebrow at you, Stefano eyeing you with amusement. 

“I don’t know what you mean (Y/N).” 

“The art through there.” You motioned through the hall in the direction you’d come. “There’s photography of women, um, a young woman missing her head-”

“With a bouquet of roses and blood – yes, that is certainly mine. One of my earlier pieces too. Ahhh, she was such a beautiful model.” You got the feeling his photography wasn’t just cut and pasted all together. “How curious, both of us in one place. It must be fate.” He chuckled as he rest a hand against your waist, leading you through the gallery.

“I don’t believe in fate. Just luck. Your artwork is impressive though, I…I have to say I’m quite jealous, I know we’re working in different media I know but, they’re really gorgeous.” You admitted, passing his works and looking at them in awe. The photographer holding a smug smirk to his lips as he took to a nearby bench to sit down – admire you from a distance as you almost fit inside the frame.

“(Y/N), may I ask, do you paint from your imagination or do you use models?” 

“Models…” you trailed off, knowing it didn’t mean much if you told him, knowing Ruben would take care of any mess you made, “usually they’re dead, or sedated, in which case they die soon after. It’s quite fascinating that everybody, no matter how cruel or how kind you are, all look the same when they die.” He let out a groan, making it very clear that was where you differed.

“Indeed, but surely the fear before the point of death is more interesting?” He soothed as you spun around – hands behind you back childishly.

“Well, you can capture that with a camera can’t you? Everyone can feel the same fear no? A photographer can capture that moment. A painter cannot. So, I chose death.” Something you said stirred him to form a crooked grin, standing and sauntering over to you, taking you chin gently between his fingers and turning your head left and right – showing no fear as he did so: having seen enough monsters outside of human form to not be afraid of ones that looked like you. Allowing him to inspect you, circling you like prey. Smiling sweetly at him as he finally stopped before you - clapping his hands together.

“I must say (Y/N) you’re quite interesting yourself – if it’s not too rude of me to ask a lady such as yourself to dinner, I would very much like to get to know you better.” Refraining from the grimace that almost crossed your expression, you shook your head.

“My husband wouldn’t approve of me going out to dinner with another man sorry, although it has been an experience meeting you. If you want to talk about art you’re very welcome to come round to mine for tea however, I must ask you refrain from looking at me like one of your models.” You replied with a sly smirk, tone cold as he cracked up.

“Of course, my apologies. It is a shame though, you should consider modelling. I wouldn’t hesitate to use you in my art, il mio bellissimo artista.” 

“And you Stefano, you’ve a lot of colour on you…it would make for an interesting palette.”

**Author's Note:**

> Although, that's it for this series.
> 
> Thank you so much again <3
> 
> Safe travels through the internet!


End file.
